The Magic is Gone
by xnobody13
Summary: Even the foes have stories never to be known. Magic, Judge, Trick, Brave...even a few souls that never made it to the present. How did they get there? What was their lives like before evil settled in? The Great group known as TORRENT and the ASIC war. How devastating their history was. Rated M.
1. Prologue

**The Magic Is Gone**

**By Xnobody13**

Before the time of Neptune's wacky antics; before the terrible dilemma involving the nefarious group ASIC; before a plot could actually be formulated within the land; before the modern day classics we have all come to love; there was a quiet simmer growing deep within the crevices of Gamindustri.

Life in Gamindustri is like no other. A singular gigantic landmass (though some claim it could break into four, and the southern region isn't truly connected to begin with, but I digress), surrounded by three giants islands evolving in their own way, Gamindustri was the home to millions upon millions of people, all living peacefully in either futuristic cities, fantastical towns, lively villages, farmlands, Antarctic-like tundras, and even areas that held a similitude towards the interpretations of what electronics look like on the inside. Though united by travel alone, the gigantic landmass has divided itself into a four-nation intersection, the surrounding territories often being considered neutral stations. The four nations are Lowee to the North, Lastation to the east, Leanbox to the south, and Planeptune right in the center. When these nations were birthed will never be known, but the customs and traditions they base themselves on have last throughout countless generations.

Each nation is ruled over by a CPU, a strange being that, without the proper words in the dictionary, can only be described as an immortal human that had the power to channel unbelievable powers. Each CPU is purely a maiden, a Goddess if you will; there has not been a single Male ruler ever recorded in History, unless you count the human leaders of lore; humans, in case I forget, are identified as Makers on Gamindustri. They act as the monarchs for their piece of the landmass, and much like the brave king and queens of our world, they too have a cabinet to keep them benevolent and peaceful. Much like our own people that speak with the Gods, CPU's come with Oracles, trusted individuals who are granted immortality in order to be the advisor for their ruler (if they prove ineffective, the Goddess could remove that immortality).

Along with the traditional coat of arms and other sort of officials, once a Goddess proves themselves as a worthwhile leader, a bizarre incident shall occur. Described by many as a gift from Gamindustri's holy Afterlife of Celestia, CPU's are granted a little sister of sorts, deemed the "CPU Candidate," for their reason of being is to be the next in line for their nation, once the current CPU dies for reasons no one could ever say (As mentioned above, they are immortal. No one has truly seen a Goddess actually die). They often resemble the current Goddess, though are usually younger, often birthed already between 8-16 years of age (reasons never known). It was a fantastical system, but many in Gamindustri truly accept it, and take it all for what it's worth.

The four current CPU's are Blanc in Lowee, Noire in Lastation, Vert in Leanbox, and Neptune in Planeptune; their candidates, going in respectful order, are Ram and Rom, Uni, and Nepgear (Leanbox currently holds no official Candidate). Over time, these four nations have ruled united and in peace, but there have been moments where they broke out into full-scale warfare. Often, though, it never escalated far, and aside from perhaps a few casualties, it never grew any deeper than a vocal fight with an occasional gun going off. Strangely, their relations were actually pretty good, all things considered.

However, though war was not breaking out between the four kingdoms, internal affairs were always present, oftentimes all four of them sharing the same problem. Crime was rampant on the streets of the major cities, and though they haven't been the worst thing to have ever occurred, they truly are tiresome. For many years, they were unorganized, but soon a crime syndicate began to immense considerable growth. They bannered their identities as The "Torrent Pirates," renegade criminals that would do anything to take away the currency of Gamindustri (Credits) as well as the strange power source the CPU's rely on, Shares (how they work apparently depends on the support a CPU has from her people). Though only Makers, they were crafty, and worked on all nations in order to spread their criminal beliefs. In years to follow, they would soon earn a far different name, one that many who are familiar with this world would know, though we still have time before that.

Gamindustri as we know it was somewhat different about 80 years ago, when the criminal group was starting to truly pick up steam. No one can accurately say why they suddenly grew bigger and far more menacing, but many believe it was due to a dream one of the clan leaders had. In his subconcious mind, a strange woman only known as Arfoire appeared before him. The woman was often referred to as the Deity of Sin, a dark and mischievous woman that has caused plenty of trouble for every CPU that had ever lived. The man reported that he was nearly killed by her, but for some reason, he was spared, with her words saying that he would remain alive as long as the group evolved and began to follow under her. The man, coward that he was, understood and accepted her conditions in a heartbeat. Though it would take some time for all portions of the group to assimilate, it was inevitable that the evil organization would evolve into some that much more drastic.

Whew, the history's done. Sorry about that, folks; got a little carried away. Now that we know some things, I can properly introduce this tale.

years before the ill-fated duel in the graveyard, ASIC wasn't even a true thing. Sure, the name was existing at this point, but it wasn't more than just a passing word used to refer to something Arfoire made way back in the day. Instead, like I mentioned, we had those pesky Torrent Pirates, and at the start of our tale, there was probably around 6 million of them, out of the total Gamindustri Population of 112 million. However, though so very large in number, with the exception of a few scattered clan leaders, there was no true united king or queen of the organization, no head for the body. Whenever they did something, it was not an organized rule to perform it. Somehow, they managed to live, but if they didn't find a person to unite them all, they would certainly all perish under the Goddesses. Besides, that Clan leader really wanted to make sure Arfoire didn't kill him, so they had to do something quick.

And thus, our tale begins…


	2. Part 1: Gamindustri Back Then

_May our Goddess guide you through the blackened sea, and may she always be with you..._

**1**

All over Gamindustri, interesting people, all unrelated to one another both socially and biologically, were simply performing their meager jobs years ago. It was quite the uninteresting site, and should never truly be investigated, less one wants to ruin their mind with mediocrity. Every landmass was simply living on in their daily world upon their daily timeline nestled within their daily lives. There was no war, no famine, no epidemics, no disputes; it was as peaceful as a bright, sunshiny day.

For those that never quite understood, Gamindustri a century ago was beginning their, dare I say it, "Cultural Movement." For a long time, anything and everything was local, orderly, and respectful. However, thanks to a few hooligans running about, a counterculture began to surface, and suddenly crime was growing more and more by the day. In what our world would describe as the "60's," Gamindustri was going through the motions of debating everything around them; The CPU's, the birth of online play, The laws regarding freedom of speech, breaking through the united industries, solving equality rights, the birth of the modern day adventuring scene; Gamindustri years ago had it all, and many couldn't even begin to describe what the hell happened, for everything went by so fast.

However, like I said before, even with the commotion, people still moved on like there was nothing happening. Work had to be done, and done quickly. The world was changing around them, but honestly, everyone could have cared less. To the majority of the workforce, it was just a phase that will be quietly forgotten in the years to come. Only the youth really dared to pay attention, and even they often found themselves working.

In Planeptune, Lady Plutia III was going through a crisis. She really began to have her wits tested ever since Neptune joined the cast, and she really wondered if she could keep her sanity any longer. It has been nearly a decade now, and Neptune was already honking about how great that invention known as pudding was. Unlike the current CPU, Neptune was all for the counterculture, though for what reasons no one knew, nor wanted to know. Histoire, the Oracle of the nation, tried her best to control her, but really allowed Plutia to do the messy work; hopefully by the time Neptune does take control, she wouldn't be a hassle.

In Leanbox, the Alliance between Red Heart, Blue Heart, and Helga Green Heart was over, with the Green Heart's taking over completely. However, her time on this world was done, and Vert was about to be granted the title of CPU. Finally, she could strip away the title of a Candidate and be the ruler she always wanted to be. Perhaps she could even make a new law here and there…oh, the excitement! Chika Hakozaki was already gearing to be the new Oracle, really wanting to be near Vert for whatever reason. We don't ask, and we don't need to.

In Lastation, Lady Gray Heart was on her last legs. A beloved leader, she was stricken by one of the most deadly viruses ever to hit a CPU. Strangely, she was never blessed with a Candidate, and her Oracle left out of spite long ago, meaning no one could take her place. The Black Heart family was more than ready to take the thrown, and Gray Heart wouldn't have it any other way. Lady Black Heart I was hoping that when her time came, her Candidate would appear shortly after, and with Kei Jinguji, her trusted friend and adviser since her youth. Soon, Lastation will enter a beautiful state of rebirth.

Finally, to the north in Lowee, Lady Blanc overlooked her nation, wondering just like Lady Black Heart when her Candidates were to arrive, though unlike the other prestigous woman, White Heart wanted a Candidate so that they could do the heavy thinking for once. Mina, her trusted Oracle and lifelong friend, warned her that they still have to be taught the ways of a Goddess, but Blanc dismissed that notion, believing the blue-haired woman had what it took to be a temporary teacher. This really irked the young woman.

All four nations each had a tiny tale of their own, though none resulted in anything dangerous occurring. The only thing that could possibly be dangerous was TORRENT, and they have not performed a single disastrous attack since a few months back, which is not a bad thing, of course.

To the people working in Gamindustri, they still performed their menial tasks, hoping for some excitement in their lives. Still, it was better than being dead, so there was always that. All they had to look forward to was what the CPU ever did, and that was never anything groundbreaking, for most of the time the news boils down the CPU playing a new game, or perhaps supporting an agenda that didn't interfere with life to start with. It was a boring existence, and besides the occasional TORRENT deed, it was meant to stay that way.

Within Planeptune, one of these bored workers started her day at the Basilicom, working a very prestigious job for Plutia alongside her dad, a veteran in the Basilicom for over 20 years. Unlike the other poor saps, who either became engineers or office workers pushing pencils, this young girl, thanks to her highly-thought-of background, was able to acquire a top job...as the caretaker of Lady Neptune. Okay, it wasn't the best job, but unlike others, it was a menial task; she just got bored of it after a while, though she was always friends with the Candidate.

Her father was one of the leading "Strategic-Thinkers" for the Goddess, or in our terms, a financial adviser for the land. Histoire and him have worked congruently together since he began working there, making sure Planeptune was kept afloat during these peaceful times. Rarely did he ever actually do anything important, but thanks to his work, he was held in at least some form of regard (in other words, Plutia III will restrain herself from lashing at him, at least for minimal reasons). His daughter got into the Goddess business at a young age, starting at the wee age of 10, where thanks to her gender and awestruck-style power to calm down foolish children, she was able to gain quite the following within the Basilicom.

For a long time, not a single soul suspected anything from these two. They were kind, considerate, boring people that did exactly what was required of them. Of course, members of TORRENT have been known to work for the CPU under disguise, and once they are found out (and they always are), they are thrown in a secret jail and never seen again, and when I say that, I mean they are wiped from this world. Every record of their existence is wiped, and any family member they have will be informed that if they even mention his or her existence, they will suffer the same fate. A sad thing that must occur, but the guards within the Capital truly want their Goddess protected, and anything that jeopardizes their idol must be severely reprimanded.

Luckily, these two never had to go through any interview or interrogation or even a spontaneous drug exam; In fact, they were never even put on the list. To the daughter, that was understandable, for she knew that neither of them had anything deep or secretive to conceal away from the public. To the father, It was the biggest relief he could ever receive, knowing that any bit of suspicion could easily result in his daughter losing everything, and being forced to live out on the streets in dire poverty. That was not a reality he ever wanted her to experience, and he vowed that it shall never occur. But he never needed to worry about this, for he had absolutely nothing to hide. Nothing at all. Nothing.

Thus, like I said, they lived their lives like everyone else; boring, mundane, and pleasantly narcotic. Go to work, do whatever they needed to do, and then go home; rinse, repeat, and do it all again until retirement or death claims you. And you know what? They definitely would not want it any other way. Food on the table was worth it, right? Nothing weird underneath that table going on, as far as we could tell.


	3. Part 1: Neptune and Liliana

**2**

It was the beginning of the week, the day off passing by like a warm, summer day. The young girl and her father each clocked into the Basilicom at exactly sunrise that day, said their salutations, and proceeded to their work as usual. The girl held one of the biggest accordion folders in existence, every paper all dealing with everything there is to know about Neptune. Though the day was beginning to look sunny and perfect, she knew it was going to be hectic. Normally, Neptune would be somewhat lax within the morning hours, or just asleep until noon, but when she walked by her room, she already heard the loud thumps of the young Candidate hopping up and down on the bed, cheering as she apparently accomplished something she deemed relevant in the long run.

Drawing a big sigh, the young girl walked in, pulling out one of the sheets the Candidate was expected to fully complete by the time she left. She slowly closed the wooden door behind her as she watched the young purple-haired girl jump with extreme glee, holding one of those cheap-looking black-and-white electronic LCD games that was all the rage back then. She didn't even know that the Girl walked in, making her personal caretaker sit down on one of the wooden chairs, which was now painted completely purple (it was originally brown, but Neptune found that color to be such a drab). Folding a leg over the other, she watched as the Candidate continued her bizarre ritual. When she did notice the girl, she wasn't even shocked that she was there to begin with; instead, she began talking to her like she had been there for hours.

"Yo, Lili, look! I did it! Man-o-Mano, I finally did it! 86! Those mole-monsters never saw my mighty hammer smashing down towards them! Dang, beat that!" She said in her childish bliss. She wasn't really that young (way older than Ram and Rom will soon be), but like all Candidates, her head was still trapped inside the mentality of a child; all of them will eventually learn to be mature, but unfortunately for Histoire and Pliutia III, while she did get very smart (she passed the CPU test with a perfect score), she still acted like a little kid, much to everyone's chagrin. Still, that was what the Girl was there for; control her, and make sure she did everything necessary to succeed. Thus, hearing Neptune's happy cheers, she merely sighed with a smile soon after.

"That's excellent, my lady. Tell me, which game is that? It looks brand new," she said with an emotional mixture of boredom and disinterest. Still, Neptune kept it up, still bouncing on her bed like there was no tomorrow. Soon, after doing a surprise kick in the air, she jumped down onto her purple carpet and nearly shoved the handheld directly into the girl's face. It was a Lowean creation, no doubt, and based on the stills within the screen, it was about a man who for some reason had to smash a hammer over mole-holes. The girl was never interested in that sort of stuff, but nevertheless, it had to be big if Neptune was so damn happy about it.

With another childish smile, Neptune frolicked about the bedroom, waving the game all about. "Just got it the other day! Big sis said I shouldn't play them, being the Candidate and all, but honestly, she's just a big grumpypants. Lets say I had someone smuggle it in for me, and presto! I've been playing it all night, and I finally got the top score!" She cheered once more, finally making a crashlanding onto the purple bed, sighing in perfection and innocence.

The girl grew alarmed for some reason. "N-Neptune! You know smuggling in those types of things could get you in trouble. And wait...you've been playing it all night? Please tell me you fell asleep at some point! You need to rest! You have plenty of work that needs to be done by tomorrow!" The girl said. This made Neptune grow annoyed.

"Liliana, stop being my mommy for five minutes! Jeez, you sound like Plutia sometimes! Besides, I _did_ fall asleep a few times. Let's just say that I have become an unsung master of microsleeping. Look, I'll show ya1" With that, the Candidate fell asleep, literally at an instant. This made the girl now formally acknowledged as Liliana wince, making her stand up as she began to raise a finger. Just as she was about to poke the sleeping girl, Neptune woke up almost as fast as she passed out. "See, look at that! I feel more refreshed than when I had that vanilla pudding the other day. Seriously, praise whoever made that awesome thing!"

Liliana shook her head, half grinning and half frowning (if you could even attempt to imagine that). "Well, yes, that is impressive, my lady. Uh, but seriously, just make sure you rest up a little bit less, uh, unorthodox. Like I said, we have a _lot _of things that need to be done. Want me to show the paperwork now, or do you want breakfast first?" She asked, already knowing in advance what the answer was going to be. Outside, the sun began to fully ascend from the horizon, casting its dim rays from the ancient-looking window.

Neptune nodded slyly. "Liliana, you know everything I do, from my bathroom schedule to even how many breaths I take while doing my afternoon nap, and yet you always ask that question. Crapporoni, do you ever record my answer? Of course I want breakfast first!"

Liliana giggled, placing her accordion folder down on the wooden chair; she could bring it and talk about its contents at the table, but there wasn't really any need for that. Besides, it would just demotivate the Candidate even further. "Hey, once in a blue moon you have a different reply. You could never be too sure!" Liliana said, giving off quite the glorious smile Neptune always enjoyed seeing. With that, the girl opened the door, looking out towards the dark corridor, where an occasional guard walked by, on patrol as usual. Liliana noticed that there was an additional guard for some reason, but didn't really think anything of it.

"Come on, my lady. Your breakfast awaits!" Liliana happily said. The thing she learned during her time with Neptune was that the only way to truly get to her was to be as enthusiastic as her, which is why Histoire and Plutia were never successful. Just to prove her point, Neptune looked even more happy to leave her room (and her new game) behind. She knew that the food would probably be the normal assortment of waffles, pancakes, and the rest of the generic chain, but seriously, that pudding invention is amazing! If her sister was offering that today, she would work a thousand fold for the rest of the days to come. Of course, Plutia III would never serve such a sugary product to her little sister; that would just be unethical!

…

At the table, Liliana politely bowed to the Goddess, who did the same. "Liliana, I trust that Neptune hasn't done anything foolish yet, correct? She asked, her eyes looking quite determined, if slightly concerned (it would seem that Nepgear would adopt this trait from her). Upon hearing that question, the Candidate nearly choked on her own breath, alarmed that her deeds performed throughout the past few hours could be very easily revealed by her caretaker. Indeed, Liliana definitely thought of saying what she had encountered the moment she opened her door, but thanks to the puppy-dog eyes she was receiving, as well as that weird bond she was developing with the candidate, she merely instead said:

"Nothing to report, my lady. Strangely, Neptune actually woke up neatly, and tidied up her bed like I've been asking of her for ages. Everything's fine, Plutia."

Of course, everything she said was a straight up lie. Neptune would never straighten out her bed, looking as chaotic as the first day Liliana ever laid eyes on it, and even if she did, it would only be wrecked and covered in crumbs somehow the next day. About waking up...if she ever even did see her wake up, she somehow always looked like trash come alive, with her hair in complete disarray and sometimes her sleepwear starting to slide off her chest. Some may deem that to be somewhat redeemable, but for young Liliana, it was just another problem she had to worry about. Regardless, Neptune at least looked presentable this morning, and that was all that mattered.

The two took to their seats after getting the confirmation nod, and were served just as what the helper expected, which Neptune barely even saw, for she stuffed her face way to quickly for any normal living creature. "Jeez, Neptune, at least try to savor the meal! It actually tastes good today!" Lili said, elegantly cutting the toasted bread presented before her. The Candidate let out a giggle, though she didn't really listen to her. Plutia rolled her eyes, too busy speaking with Histoire about some political matter. Her father sat next to them, and though he gave his daughter a tilt of the head for acknowledgment, he was too busy speaking with his Lady to say anything more.

As Neptune continued to play the predator toward her meal, Liliana folded her hands and placed them on her lap out of view. "My Lady, after this, we have to work. Do you remember the situation currently going on in Mobiuos? Please tell me you at least looked at the form! You know how stingy their leader gets," Liliana said, quickly growing into the business lady she was supposed to be. The Candidate, meanwhile, was too busy playing with her fork to listen to her. "My Lady!" Liliana shouted, finally getting Neptune's attention (as well as aside glances from the other patrons at the table).

"Yeah, yeah, I read the stupid thing! Really, though, can we talk about something _fun_ for once? You know, before I go back to my room and the whole shebackle begins?" she asked, putting the fork down, with the sharp points touching the light fabric underneath her plate, possibly tearing it. Liliana shook her head, but the Candidate would not let up. "Come on, just this once! I promise, we'll talk about something else right now, and when we go back to my room, I'll work until the sun don't shine no more!"

The assistant folded her arms now, looking down towards the floor. Briefly looking back up, she saw Neptune giving those eyes again. Though she always wanted to say it, she knew it would be a lie if she said she could resist the young Candidate's charm. It was annoying, but she was too damn cute to pass up. "Look, if you truly mean that, then yes, we'll talk about something else," she began, making Neptune's eyes light up faster than the fastest hedgehog in town. However, before she could grow fully elated, Liliana reached over and grabbed Neptune's head. "However, you _better_ keep your promise. He won't accept that work any later than tonight. Got it?"

Neptune nodded vigorously. Okay, guess that was a victory.

With that, Liliana finished her meal, still surprised that after Neptune stuffed her face, she somehow still had plenty left over; how was it that she never gained any weight? Her assistant had to admit jealously on that front. "Well, since you got me, what do you want to talk about? Personally, I have nothing interesting to say."

Neptune's eyes lit up once again. "Well, I got _plenty _of things to say. Um, where to start, where to start...um...nah, that's too silly...oh, Neptune, you dirty girl! Ah, there we go! Yo, Liliana, you listening, babe?" The Candidate asked, making her assistant look back up; did...did she just call her "babe"? "Yeah, what do you think of the whole 'video game' thing going on? Personally, I think its the best thing since sliced bread, but that's just me. What do you think, Lili? I mean, you don't live that much of a boring life, right?"

Liliana spat out her coffee, forcing her to apologize to the rest at the table for causing a disturbance. "N-Neptune, how dare you! I want you to know that I live an interesting life!"

"Really? You look like one of those 'Oh, I need to work extra long hours because I have holes in my life!' kind of gal."

"Hey, I'm not at all like that! I just...when work needs to get done, I vow to get it done! You should do the same!"

"Yeah, but ya know me. That's just not my cup of pudding, if you catch my lay-low?"

"Well...wait, stop using street lingo! You're supposed to be the Candidate, remember?"

Lady Plutia, still politely talking to Liliana's father, quickly rolled her eyes, making the assistant blush a little. "Look," Liliana continued, "I appreciate any advance in technology, and yes, I appreciate what video games are. However, what I don't appreciate is having the medium become a distraction to high-ranking officials such as yourself. It's okay once in a while, but I don't want another repeat of the Mackwell incident!"

Neptune coughed up whatever she was drinking there. "Yikes, don't remind me. That douche had it coming! Still, I heard some dude over in Haneda is making a thing known as saving. Now _that _is the real deal, coolio! You won't have anything to complain about then, so just you wait!"

Liliana muttered under her breath "it couldn't be anymore painful" as she stood up, brushing off her office-like dress, looking like the perfect woman for any career. "Well, we will just have to see when it happens, huh? By the way, please brush off your cheeks! You need to look more professional!"

She received a strange glare from the Candidate, resembling an angry pout that just couldn't be made. Grabbing a napkin, Neptune began to brush off whatever crumbs lingered there. With that Liliana bowed to the CPU, and looked back at the Candidate. "We can continue this discussion later. Right now, we should head back to the room and get this thing done."

As she said this, Neptune began to grow anxious, knowing that they will have to go back to the room and, god forbid, work for a living. She promised Lili that she would get right to it after breakfast, but she _really _did not want to look at a stupid dossier right now; seriously, that Mobiuos fellow needs to take a chill pill! Not everyone could be happy all the time.

Luckily, as the anxiety grew, a strange rumble sounded within her belly. With a sly grin, she stood up quickly, her arms accidently bumping the table, nearly throwing her dirty dish straight into Liliana's face. "Yo, before we actually do the thing, can I make a quick stop at the Little Candidate's room?" she said, knowing full well that she probably didn't even need it. Still, Liliana didn't know that, and denying such a high-ranking individual from using the lavatory could spell certain doom for her (read: public execution. Jeez, Planeptune doesn't mess around).

"Heh, very well. Just make it quick, and if I see you trying to sneak out of the window again, I _will _tell Plutia!"

With a gulp, Neptune quickly sprinted towards the nearest lav, and now alone with the other high-ranking officials and her dad, Liliana collapsed onto the seat. Picking up that accordion folder of hers as she wondered how this day was going to go, she really hoped that negotiations with that stupid mayor will go over well for both parties. As she thought long and hard over this, her father finished up his conversation with the head-honcho, and decided to speak to his seemingly-defeated daughter, taking the seat adjacent to her.

"Hey, Lili, you doing all right? She isn't too much trouble now, right?" he said, his voice sounding both sophisticated, yet at the same time cockney, a relic of his origins from the land of the Saburai. He was a weathered man, his prime coming to an end, with wrinkles blooming on his once clean face and grey starting to join the pallet of his hair. Still, he was well-built, and to any interested, he may still have the power to woo a person just from his stylish look. Of course, to Liliana, he was simply the Old Man that raised her since birth. Even in tiring situations, he always was able to get his daughter to at least be somewhat happier than before.

His daughter sighed, laying the folder on her lap. "Eh, the usual. Some mad guy makes far too many demands, I tell Neptune, she wants none of it. I promise you it will get done, but I know I'll get grey hairs before I even reach my 20's!" the young woman replied, chuckling at such a thought. She was always known for her deep-red hair, a color that depending on the lighting in the room or the outside world could come out to look a majestic purple, or perhaps a quaint pink. It was simply part of the charm of her otherwise lovely, yet quite average, body.

Her father folded his arms across his chest, leaned far back on his chair, letting out a heartfelt laugh (Histoire shot a question mark at him, to which he brushed it off). "Relax, Lili. I know how little kids are; I mean, I raised you, remember? Hard to believe you were just like that when you were growing up."

"Well dad, as a toddler, that's expected, but Neptune is...well, she barely ages, but roughly a teenager. It's so strange, you know?"

Another heartfelt laugh from the man that was half-responsible for bringing her to the land of Gamindustri. "Hey, you just got to go with it. You had the chance to grow up, she didn't. Remember that, Lili," he said, grabbing the napkin from off the table and wiping something off of Lili's cheeks. After managing to avoid being slapped from his embarrassed daughter, his expression changed to one that was far more hopeful. "Anyways, I have some excellent news for you."

Liliana's eyes quickly shot open. "We can finally get that car? Oh, thank you-"

Her father quickly put his hands on her shoulders. "Woah, slow down there, girl. The car will be coming soon. Besides, how can you expect a car when you don't even have your license?" after his daughter once more grew vexed, he continued, hoping his enlightening words will cheer her up. "You are familiar with Torrent, right?"

Her eyes didn't brighten as much as when she thought the car was coming, but nevertheless, they were lit. "The crime syndicate? Yeah, what about them? What, Plutia catch one, or something? Isn't that, like, the easiest thing you could do?"

Her father let out another, albeit smaller, laugh. "Well, those are just thugs. I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't even affiliated with the actual group! Still, what really happened was, guess this, we found one of their major bases of operation!"

Liliana looked delightfully surprised. "Wait, seriously? I thought their hideout was impossible to locate!"

Her father looked all too pleased with himself, nodding with confidence as if he just solved the biggest problem in the world, and now he wants the whole world-over to thank him. It took Liliana a few minutes to understand what the hell he was implying with that pose, but soon enough, her eyes went brighter than ever before. "Did...were you the one who found it?"

Another heartfelt laugh; even Plutia in the distance was smiling, though you could tell fatigue was wearing on her after all these years. "It wasn't easy, don't get me wrong. In fact, I honestly found it by complete accident. Looking through all the financial files when suddenly I discovered something on a satellite image - only the True Goddess knows why the Security Team mixed it with the financing – that struck me as odd. It looked like dust got onto the paper, located just west of Planeptune. I looked real hard at it, tried to brush it off, and that was when I brought it up to Security. They zoomed in, and presto, an odd looking facility matching all intel on the group!"

It was extremely far-fetched, like her father implied, but the matter of fact is that the Crime Syndicate was on the verge of being shut down, and it was none other than this man that helped lead to its delightful end. "Dad, that's...is it really them?"

"Can't say for sure, obviously, but it is looking pretty good for us and bad for them. Plutia is going to be sending a force tonight to check it out; not infiltrate it, mind you, but just a simple check to see if it's the real deal. If it is, well, you may be seeing a pay-raise in your dad's paycheck!"

Liliana looked like she was about to fall out of her seat. You must all understand that working for the CPU herself was already a gigantic chance for receiving all the credits in the land; even a simple task like being a footsoldier was already more paid than that of any office or engineering citizen. However, to discover something so massive like this, a problem that has plagued not only Planeptune, but all of Gamindustri for far too long...man, her dad could be worshipped as a God at this point. Of course, Liliana was more controlled than most teens at her age, but even she was weak-willed when it came to excellent news and the possibility of receiving 100's, if not 1,000's, of more credits than ever before.

"Dad," she began, trying to make sure her lip stopped quivering before continuing to speak, "t-that's amazing,, dad. Seriously, I'm proud of you."

Her father placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, but this isn't an excuse to buy a car now. Get your license first!" with his words, Liliana made a motion with her hand; a playful act of essentially saying "Goddammit", though there was some truth in her disappointment over it.

However, just as quickly as face turned blissful, it suddenly grew a tad bit more serious. "Lili, while this is great news, I do have some bad things to share, you hear?" he stated, Liliana looking at him quizzically. With a sigh, he looked over at Plutia, who was busy talking to a guard, presumably about what was going down tonight. "Due to all of this, I may be staying here overnight for the next few days. Plutia really wants me to be hear monitoring everything during the whole operation. I don't know why, I mean, I'm just a financial adviser, but oh well. Sorry, but you may be heading home alone for a few days tops."

He was expecting his daughter to be a bit more saddened by this, but then again, Liliana was still a teen at heart, and we all know how free-spirited those people could get. "It's fine. I guess it makes sense," she said, though as soon as she did so, a strange sensation ran up her spine, one that sent a shock of cold right into her soul. It was a strange feeling, but as soon as she felt it, the mysterious presence vanish. It was odd, truly, but she had no idea how to convey her feelings. Still, the next words out of her mouth were more about worry rather than happiness. "Dad, you aren't going to be in any danger, right? I mean, this is Torrent we're talking about here. They won't find a way to get you?"

Her dad laughed again, showing absolutely no signs of caution or disturbance. "Relax, Lili, the only danger I'll be facing is a grumpy Plutia and boredom. Torrent may be powerful, but I'll be in the Basilicom away from harm. No one from that group is stupid enough to actually try and invade, you know? If they did, they would be annihilated immediately stepping through that door!"

He rubbed his hand through her hair, an act that Liliana never really liked; it takes her hours to get her hair correct, and yet people must always find ways to ruin it, including her own flesh and blood. "So you have nothing to worry about, honey. However, don't use this as an excuse to have any parties!"

Liliana glared at him. "Yes, because even if I was, I would hold one in the middle of the week. Seriously dad, I'll be good. Besides, I'm going to be overtired after today, anyways!" She said, a grimace soon turning into a smile on her part. Her father made a playful push at her shoulder, making yet another heartfelt laugh. Plutia looked over at them, before calling out to her dad.

"Yep...all right, Lili, looks like the CPU needs me again. I'll be fine tonight, so don't you dare keep yourself up overnight thinking," he said, politely putting his chair back into place. With that, even she got up, keeping the accordion folder in check, ready to start the rest of the day in style, or at least the closest to style as you can get from the Candidate. Before she began to get up, her father turned to her one last time. "Hey, how long has she been in there, anyways?"

Liliana's face slowly contorted into anger, and she quickly stood up, bowing to the CPU and thanking her for the meal. "I swear to the True Goddess, if she's sneaking out again, she's de...she'll be in huge trouble!" Thus, Liliana moved out, running towards the bathroom, where the sound of young girl shrieking was heard. A gust of wind was felt under the door; I guess Neptune was going to get a fierce yelling out of this one.

…

Her father spoke the truth, for she truly had to walk home alone that evening. She wanted to take the car, knowing that the walk was quite the lengthy one, but her dad had the keys, and any damages he saw on his "beloved" would probably spell the end for her. Still, she assumed that taking a relaxing walk would help cool her mind after the workload that had to be done.

In the end, they finally managed to finish the report, as evidence of Neptune just about ready to pass out from sheer fatigue. Indeed, even Liliana wanted to fall asleep as soon as she got home, but she knew that wasn't going to happen. It wasn't because of worry over her dad; she already confirmed that he was going to be all right. Still, she truly hoped he was going to be okay. This _is _Torrent, the leading Crime Syndicate of Gamindustri, that they were trying to contain. If anything bad happens, everyone could be in grave danger.

In the end, she ended up spending her time sitting on the couch in her living room, watching the small TV near the end. Her house was quaint; it was nothing special to see, and looked essentially like any colonial home people could imagine. For a high-ranking position, her father never really spent the money on anything too expensive, and enjoyed living in areas that were much more confined rather than expansive and costly. Lili didn't necessarily mind, knowing she would grow mad after having so much space to live in, but it was probably her greedy side that always wanted to know what it would be like to live in wealth and fortune.

Oh well, perhaps another time. For now, she sat on that dark-green couch, sitting there in that sad-painted-looking room with the decorations (apparently everyone had useless nicknacks back in the day) casting heavy shadows all about. To most in the day, they would probably be freaked out, but Liliana found it to be extremely peaceful; she could never think clearly in bright rooms, anyways. The only person that ever complained about their home was their neighbor, who often said that Lili would never find a man with a depressing house like that, but our young lady often said she wasn't really keen on romance to begin with. The closest she ever was even on a date was with a fellow lady friend, and even that was a mere dine with an acquaintance she barely spoke to in the past few years.

With that, here she was, in baggy pants and a shirt that barely qualified as such, a bowl of popcorn nestled in-between her legs. Normally, she was much more refined than this, but perhaps with her father away, she was able to let loose, though I guess this was her definition of being rebellious. The TV was new back then, and thus was still regulated to being in black-and-white, though that wasn't a bother to her in any way. Though it was late at night, a kids show rerun was playing, a show that was well known for not only appealing to the young children it was meant for, but also to the adults who unfortunately had to watch it with their offspring, filled to the brim with hidden content only the elders can ever understand. It was called "A Trick with Trick," a variety show of some sorts hosted by a man known only as Trick. Old in nature but young at heart, he always had a bubbling personality, and was kind to all that ever spoke to him. There was never an actual kid on the show, but he always spoke as if there were many of them in the presumed live studio audience.

As she watched the show out of sheer boredom and unoriginality, she began to feel that strange feeling again. This time, the pain traveled up her spine directly to her skull, maneuvering about her brain as it when back down, attacking her stomach and eventually her legs, before making its long journey back up. It was an odd one, but she merely passed it up as just a chill from the early summer wind blowing from the window. Still, it made her very uncomfortable, but she substituted it with eating just a tad bit more popcorn.

Eventually, she was too tired to go to her bed, and soon found herself lying on the couch, the TV still playing in front of her, Trick know doing his famed sign-off signature "Good night to y'all, and remember: It ain't a true trick until the trick pays off!" For some reason something simple like that made her smile, but that could have just been the tiredness in her mind. With a yawn, she found herself joining the sleep train that many were going on at this hour.

As she did this, she heard a strange laugh coming from all directions, but it was so faint that she thought it was just the TV fading out for the night.


End file.
